Your wisdom teeth are your third molars, and they are called wisdom teeth because they are the last to erupt in the mouth, and so don’t arrive until your early teens. By this time, it is said that you should have acquired some wisdom, hence the name, (although many parents would disagree with that point!).
The good news is that it is quite possible that your wisdom teeth will grow perfectly correctly and not cause any trouble. However, the bad news is that in the great majority of cases your wisdom teeth will cause issues that can even lead to tumors, so it is essential to have them checked as you get older.
The fact is that wisdom teeth are actually something that human beings no longer have any need for, along with the appendix, the coccyx, male nipples, and others. Back in the day, when cavemen hunted and had to chew tough meats and plants, wisdom teeth were necessary. However, we no longer do a lot of hunting, and we have learned to cook. The result is that over thousands of years our jawbones have got smaller so that today there is less space for the wisdom teeth to grow.
This means that they can grow sideways, get trapped in the jawbone, partially erupt, damage adjoining teeth, and all of this can result in places in the gum where bacteria can breed and in the worst instances tumors can form. This is why you need to have your wisdom teeth evaluated by a specialist surgeon in case you need wisdom teeth removal in San Francisco.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction is Not Major Surgery
At Oral Surgery San Francisco our Dr. Alex Rabinovich can examine your jaw and gums and assess whether or not your wisdom teeth are going to cause any problems. Most people will need wisdom teeth removal in San Francisco, but this is not a major surgery and it can be carried out under a local anesthetic or light anesthesia in our state-of-the-art office here in the Financial District.
The first thing to do is to book a free wisdom teeth assessment with Dr. Rabinovich. He will provide an oral examination and also take 3D images using our new equipment called NewTom. This provides both horizontal and vertical views and is far superior to X-rays or CAT scans. If you require surgery, it will also enable Dr. Rabinovich to avoid damaging any nerves.
If you need surgery, the procedure is not very long, and you will be able to go home afterwards. The gums will be sutured, and you will have a prescription for pain medication and antibiotics. You will need a follow-up appointment one week later for suture removal.